


Because Red is Too Dangerous You Idiot

by mimo



Category: Merlin - Fandom
Genre: Gen, boys who are too silly to admit they care about each other, hunting trips, merlin's crazy neckerchiefs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-06
Updated: 2010-01-06
Packaged: 2017-10-05 21:11:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/46077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mimo/pseuds/mimo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin receives a gift from Arthur and is confused because he's always confused, isn't he?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Because Red is Too Dangerous You Idiot

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Jaela](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jaela/gifts).



> For Jei, because she got me into this whole I-should-be-doing-work-but-instead-I-am-writting-fanfic mess. Surprise! My first complete story :)

"Arthur?"

"Yes what is it now Merlin"  
Torn between asking "Is that what I think it is?" and "I already have one of these?" Merlin simply squinted apprehensively at the what-he-thought-it-was dangling precociously from Arthur's outstretched hand, trying to make sense of just what on earth was going through the royal prat's unfathomable mind now. Hopefully Arthur would be able to translate this look of pure perplexity into "HUH?" or "WHY?" and offer a (somewhat) reasonable explanation.

"Well are you going to take it or what?" huffed the prince, arm still outstretched. "It's not going to bite you."   
Recognizing this tone as the Merlin-you-will-be-in-deep-shit-if-you-don't-do-this-right-now tone, the young warlock grabbed the offending article obediently.

"It's… blue?"

"Yes it is. Nice to see your eyes are working again Merlin."

Ah. Sarcasm. Sarcasm was better than anger, so maybe he could figure this out with a little more questioning. Merlin looked at the thing in his hands. It was very soft. And blueish. It was a… cloth of some sort that looked fairly expensive, judging by how nice it felt. He rubbed it between a finger and thumb, smiling a little at how nice it felt. He remembered to look up then, and caught a… was that a smile? Was that a smile on Arthur Pendragon, his royal princeliness of Camelot's face? No, it was definitely a smirk. Not a smile but a smirk, which he was used to. It was definitely a smirk now. But he could have sworn…  
Arthur was looking at him pointedly now. He was looking at Merlin's… neck? He… oh! OH OKAY said Merlin's brain, I GET IT I THINK.

"Is this for me to wear?"

"Uh, yes Merlin you dolt, obviously. What on earth did you think it was; a pet dog?"

"Right. Yes. Obviously. Thank you?"

"Yes, well. You can go now." Arthur was now staring at the wall and looking awkward, as if he had suddenly realised that they were standing in the middle of the hall outside his chambers where he had stopped Merlin just before heading to bed. Which they were.   
Merlin turned to leave, but then thought to ask one more thing which was puzzling him.

"Arthur? Why are you giving this to me?"

Hand on the door to his chambers, Arthur turned back to face him, gave a strange look, then cleared his throat to mutter "Last week's hunting trip. You remember what happened."

"We… hunted things?"

"Not that you idiot, the- the-" Arthur waved his hands oddly around his throat in an attempt to illustrate his point. "You know, the boar."

"Oh! The boar that tried to eat me?"

Arthur made a huffy sort of affirmative noise.

"And then we killed it."

"I killed it."

"And then you killed it."

"Yes."

"And now you want me to…. cover up my neck where it tried to bite me because it offends you."

"…What? Are you a fool. No."

"Well then what is the point of this?"

"My point is, Merlin, that only an utter idiot wears a bright red neckerchief to go hunting in the woods. Hunting. In the woods. Which are green. It's no wonder things keep attacking you!" Arthur was yelling now; jabbing his finger at Merlin to punctuate his words. "Honestly, it's like you have a death wish or something! Do you not know the meaning of subtlety?"  
Merlin winced and did a strange sort of meek back-step.

With an exasperated sigh, Arthur's anger dissipated. Stupid big eyed manservant. Rubbing a hand through his hair despondently before using it to make a shooing sort of motion in the air, he uttered "Just. Just wear this one instead from now on, will you? Goodnight." And with that he turned decisively and disappeared into his chambers, leaving Merlin to stare at the door for a few bewildered seconds.

 

When the hunting party left the next Friday no one mentioned that Merlin's neckerchief was decidedly nicer looking and more demure and had a tiny Pendragon crest embroidered on one corner, and if Arthur was pleased that his manservant managed to avoid mishap the entire trip while looking as oddly 'fashionable' as always, then he hid it very well.


End file.
